Last year, the Texas legislature voted 103-34 against allowing cities to use camera enforcement. The year before, the state attorney general ruled against cities use of the devices. According to the city attorney, "He said the ordinance cites people for being inside an intersection during a red light, while the criminal violation cites violators for driving through an intersection line during a red light." It doesn't get more Clintonian than that.

Michel said this provision gives the city legal authority to issue civil citations. In addition, he said Houston's civil violation is technically different from the state's criminal violation. He said the ordinance cites people for being inside an intersection during a red light, while the criminal violation cites violators for driving through an intersection line during a red light.